U.S. patent number 10,735,895 [Application Number 15/757,000] was granted by the patent office on 2020-08-04 for portable device detection.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is Ford Global Technologies, LLC. Invention is credited to Jeffrey Allen Greenberg, Patrick Kevin Holub, Brad Alan Ignaczak, Adil Nizam Siddiqui, John Robert Van Wiemeersch.
United States Patent |
10,735,895 |
Holub , et al. |
August 4, 2020 |
Portable device detection
Abstract
A plurality of transducers positioned at respective specified
locations in a vehicle are actuated to generate a plurality of
respective tones. A plurality of respective time differences are
determined between times that each respective tone is generated by
the respective transducer and the tone is detected by a portable
device. A location of the portable device is determined based at
least in part on the time differences.
Inventors: |
Holub; Patrick Kevin (Novi,
MI), Van Wiemeersch; John Robert (Novi, MI), Siddiqui;
Adil Nizam (Farmington Hills, MI), Greenberg; Jeffrey
Allen (Ann Arbor, MI), Ignaczak; Brad Alan (Canton,
MI) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ford Global Technologies, LLC |
Dearborn |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
(Dearborn, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
1000004967640 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/757,000 |
Filed: |
October 16, 2015 |
PCT
Filed: |
October 16, 2015 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/US2015/055926 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
March 02, 2018 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2017/065799 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
April 20, 2017 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20190149950 A1 |
May 16, 2019 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W
4/023 (20130101); H04W 4/33 (20180201); H04M
1/72572 (20130101); H04M 1/6008 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04W
4/02 (20180101); H04M 1/725 (20060101); H04M
1/60 (20060101); H04W 4/33 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;455/456.1,404.2,418,421,575.9 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
102680944 |
|
Sep 2012 |
|
CN |
|
20130089069 |
|
Aug 2013 |
|
KR |
|
2015070064 |
|
May 2015 |
|
WO |
|
2015106415 |
|
Jul 2015 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
Notification of Transmittal of the International Search Report and
the Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority (12
pages). cited by applicant .
Chinese Office Action as issued by the Chinese Patent Office dated
Mar. 5, 2020 (with English translation). cited by
applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Ly; Nghi H
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hicks; Brandon Bejin Bieneman
PLC
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a
memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the computer
to: actuate a first transducer to generate a first tone; upon
receipt of the first tone by a portable device, generate a second
tone from the portable device; determine a time difference between
generation of the first tone by the first transducer and receipt of
the second tone by a receiving device; identify a major axis of an
ellipse based on the time difference, the ellipse having foci at
the portable device and the receiving device; determine a location
of the portable device based on the ellipse; and apply a set of
user settings associated with a vehicle operator upon determining
that the location of the portable device is in an operator's side
of a vehicle cabin.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tones are ultrasonic.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include
instructions to send respective tones from a plurality of
transducers in a sequence.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions further include
instructions to receive a first notification with the portable
device, generate a first ultrasonic tone from the first transducer,
and send a receipt notification from the portable device when the
portable device receives the first ultrasonic tone, wherein the
time difference is the difference in time between the first
notification and the receipt notification.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include
instructions to send respective tones from a plurality of
transducers substantially simultaneously.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the instructions further include
instructions to record a time of receipt for each tone upon receipt
by the portable device, send a receipt notification indicating the
times of receipt, and determine the time differences based on the
times of receipt.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include
instructions to generate a third tone from a second transducer and
a fourth tone from the portable device upon receipt of the third
tone by the portable device, to determine a second major axis of a
second ellipse based on a second time difference between generation
of the third tone and receipt of the fourth tone by the receiving
device, and to determine the position of the portable device based
on an intersection point of the ellipse and the second ellipse.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions further include
instructions to generate a fifth tone from a third transducer and a
sixth tone from the portable device upon receipt of the fifth tone
by the portable device, to determine a third major axis of a third
ellipse based on a third time difference between generation of the
fifth tone and receipt of the sixth tone by the receiving device,
and to determine the position of the portable device based on an
intersection point of the ellipse, the second ellipse, and the
third ellipse.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include
instructions to identify a second portable device on a passenger's
side of the vehicle cabin, to ignore a set of user settings from
the second portable device, and to apply the set of user settings
from the portable device on the operator's side of the vehicle
cabin.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include
instructions to determine the position of the portable device based
at least in part on a distance between the first transducer and the
receiving device.
11. A method, comprising: actuating a first transducer to generate
a first tone; upon receipt of the first tone by a portable device,
generating a second tone from the portable device, determining a
time difference between generation of the first tone by the first
transducer and receipt of the second tone by a receiving device;
identifying a major axis of an ellipse based on the time
difference, the ellipse having foci at the portable device and the
receiving device; determining a location of the portable device
based on the ellipse; and applying a set of user settings
associated with a vehicle operator upon determining that the
location of the portable device is in an operator's side of a
vehicle cabin.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the tone is an ultrasonic
tone.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending respective
tones from a plurality of transducers in a sequence.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a first
notification with the portable device, generating a first
ultrasonic tone from the first transducer, and sending a receipt
notification from the portable device when the portable device
receives the first ultrasonic tone, wherein the time difference is
the difference in time between the first notification and the
receipt notification.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending respective
tones from a plurality of transducers substantially
simultaneously.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising recording a time of
receipt for each tone upon receipt by the portable device, sending
a receipt notification indicating the times of receipt, and
determining the time differences based on the times of receipt.
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating a third
tone from a second transducer and a fourth tone from the portable
device upon receipt of the third tone by the portable device,
determining a second major axis of a second ellipse based on a
second time difference between generation of the third tone and
receipt of the fourth tone by the receiving device, and determining
the position of the portable device based on an intersection point
of the ellipse and the second ellipse.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a fifth
tone from a third transducer and a sixth tone from the portable
device upon receipt of the fifth tone by the portable device,
determining a third major axis of a third ellipse based on a third
time difference between generation of the fifth tone and receipt of
the sixth tone by the receiving device, and determining the
position of the portable device based on an intersection point of
the ellipse, the second ellipse, and the third ellipse.
19. The method of claim 11, further comprising identifying a second
portable device on a passenger's side of the vehicle cabin,
ignoring a set of user settings from the second portable device,
and applying the set of user settings from the portable device on
the operator's side of the vehicle cabin.
20. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the
position of the portable device based at least in part on a
distance between the first transducer and the receiving device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This patent application is filed under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 371 as a
national stage of, and as such claims priority to, International
Patent Application No. PCT/US2015/055926, filed on 16 Oct. 2015,
the foregoing application is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety.
BACKGROUND
Conventional vehicle systems may include user settings
transferrable between vehicles. The user settings may include
preferred radio stations, preferred climate control settings, etc.
However, multiple vehicle occupants may have differing user
settings when occupying the same vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for determining a location of
a portable device in a vehicle.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary process for determining the location of the
portable device in the vehicle.
FIG. 3 is another exemplary process for determining the location of
the portable device in the vehicle.
FIG. 4 is another exemplary process for determining the location of
the portable device in the vehicle.
FIG. 5 is another exemplary process for determining the location of
the portable device in the vehicle.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of a vehicle with a pair of portable
devices.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the vehicle illustrating determining the
location of the portable devices using trilateration with
circles.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the vehicle illustrating determining the
location of the portable devices using trilateration with
ellipses.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 including a portable device 120
communicatively coupled, e.g., via a known wireless protocol, to a
vehicle 101 computing device 105. The computing device 105 is
programmed to receive collected data 115, from one or more data
collectors 110, e.g., vehicle 101 sensors, concerning various
metrics related to the vehicle 101. For example, the metrics may
include a velocity of the vehicle 101, vehicle 101 acceleration
and/or deceleration, data related to vehicle 101 path or steering,
audio tones from the vehicle 101 cabin, biometric data related to a
vehicle 101 operator, e.g., heart rate, respiration, pupil
dilation, body temperature, state of consciousness, etc. Further
examples of such metrics may include measurements of vehicle
systems and components (e.g., a steering system, a powertrain
system, a brake system, internal sensing, external sensing, etc.).
The computing device 105 may be programmed to collect data 115 from
the vehicle 101 in which it is installed, sometimes referred to as
a host vehicle 101, and/or may be programmed to collect data 115
about a second vehicle 101, e.g., a target vehicle.
The computing device 105 is generally programmed for communications
on a controller area network (CAN) bus or the like. The computing
device 105 may also have a connection to an onboard diagnostics
connector (OBD-II). Via the CAN bus, OBD-II, and/or other wired or
wireless mechanisms, e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, or the like, the
computing device 105 may transmit messages to various devices in a
vehicle 101, e.g., devices 120 discussed below, and/or receive
messages from the various devices, e.g., controllers, actuators,
sensors, etc., including data collectors 110. Alternatively or
additionally, in cases where the computing device 105 actually
comprises multiple devices, the CAN bus or the like may be used for
communications between devices represented as the computing device
105 in this disclosure.
The data store 106 may be of any known type, e.g., hard disk
drives, solid-state drives, servers, or any volatile or
non-volatile media. The data store 106 may store the collected data
115 sent from the data collectors 110.
The vehicle 101 may include one or more transducers 107. The
transducers 107 may include known devices that produce tones, i.e.
sound waves, at various frequencies, e.g., ultrasonic tones with
frequencies above the human hearing range (e.g. in excess of 20
kHz), subsonic tones with frequencies below the human hearing range
(e.g. below 20 Hz), sound waves within the human hearing range,
etc. A transducer 107 may be situated in various parts of the
vehicle 101, including, e.g., an instrument panel, a vehicle door,
a vehicle pillar, etc. As is known, transducers 107 may send tones
at specific frequencies and/or with specific signatures, such that
the tone can be identified as sent from a particular transducer at
a particular time.
Data collectors 110 may include a variety of devices. For example,
various controllers in a vehicle may operate as data collectors 110
to provide data 115 via the CAN bus, e.g., data 115 relating to
vehicle speed, acceleration, system and/or component functionality,
etc., of any number of vehicles 101. Further, sensors or the like,
could be included in a vehicle and configured as data collectors
110 to provide data directly to the computer 105, e.g., via a wired
or wireless connection. Yet other data collectors 110 could include
cameras, microphones, breathalyzers, motion detectors, etc., i.e.,
data collectors 110 to provide data 115 for evaluating a condition
or state of a vehicle 101 operator and/or collect audio and/or
visual data from the vehicle 101 cabin. Further still, the data
collectors 110 may include a receiving device configured to receive
ultrasonic tones from the transducer 107.
Collected data 115 may include a variety of data collected in a
vehicle 101. Examples of collected data 115 are provided above, and
moreover, data 115 is generally collected using one or more data
collectors 110, and may additionally include data calculated
therefrom in the computer 105. In general, collected data 115 may
include any data that may be gathered by the data collectors 110
and/or computed from such data.
The portable device 120 may be any one of a variety of computing
devices including a processor and a memory, as well as
communication capabilities that is programmed to be worn on an
operator's body. For example, the portable device 120 may be a
wearable device, e.g. a watch or a smart watch, a smartphone, a
tablet, a personal digital assistant, a watch-phone pairing, a
vibrating apparatus, etc. that includes capabilities for wireless
communications using IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, and/or cellular
communications protocols. Further, the portable device 120 may use
such communications capabilities to communicate directly with a
vehicle computer 105, e.g., using Bluetooth. The portable device
120 may store in its memory vehicle 101 settings, e.g. preferred
entertainment settings, climate control settings, etc., that a
vehicle 101 occupant may want to apply to the vehicle 101. However,
if there are multiple portable devices 120, it may be preferable to
apply the settings of the portable device 120 associated with a
vehicle owner and/or occupant of an operator's seat. Thus, the
present system 100 advantageously provides a determination of
respective locations of one or more portable devices 120 in the
vehicle 101, can then apply settings of a selected portable device,
e.g., a wearable device worn by an occupant of an operator's seat,
accordingly.
FIG. 2 illustrates a process 200 for determining a location of the
portable device 120 in the vehicle 101. The process 200 starts in a
block 205, in which the computing device 105 sends a notification
to the portable device 120. The notification notifies the portable
device 120 that the computing device 105 will begin determining the
location of the portable device 120. The notification may be a
radio-frequency (RF) signal, e.g. RF.sub.1 shown in FIG. 7, sent,
e.g., over a network, including over WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
Next, in a block 210, the computing device 105 provides an
instruction to a first transducer 107 to generate a first tone. The
first tone may be an ultrasonic tone, i.e., a sound wave having a
frequency in excess of 20 kHz, which may be outside the typical
known range of a human's hearing but within the sound detection
capability of the portable device 120. The first tone can be
received by the portable device 120 in the vehicle 101. The
computing device 105 records the time of sending the instruction.
The computing device 105 may provide the instruction to the first
transducer 107 substantially simultaneously as the start
notification.
Next, in a block 215, the portable device 120 sends a first receipt
notification upon receipt of the first tone. The first receipt
notification may be an RF signal such that the computing device 105
may receive the first receipt notification nearly immediately after
the portable device 120 receives the first tone. Upon receipt of
the receipt notification by the receiving device, the computing
device 105 records the time of receipt.
Next, in a block 220, the computing device 105 determines whether
there is another transducer 107 that must send a respective tone.
For example, a vehicle 101 may include three transducers 107, and
the computing device 105 may repeat the steps 205-215 for each
transducer. If the computing device 105 determines that another
transducer 107 must send a tone, the process returns to the bock
205 to repeat the steps 205-215. If all transducers 107 have
generated their tones, the process continues in a block 225.
In the block 225, the computing device 105 determines respective
time differences between each notification and its respective
receipt notification. The computing device 105 compares the
recorded time for each notification to the recorded time for each
response notification to find a time difference for each transducer
107. For example, a first time difference TD.sub.1 is the time
between the first start notification sent by the computing device
105 and the first response notification received by the computing
device 105. The computing device 105 repeats this calculation of
the time difference for all transducers 107. In another example,
the computing device 105 may account for the time delay of the
notifications and the receipt notifications if the time of RF
propagation for the notifications and the receipt notifications are
large enough to affect the time differences.
Next, in a block 230, the computing device 105 determines the
location of the portable device 120 based on the time differences,
and the process 200 ends. The location may be determined using
trilateration based on the distance of the portable device 120 to
the transducers 107. Trilateration as that term is used herein
refers to the known technique of determining distances between
points using geometric characteristics of circles, triangles,
ellipses, ellipsoids, and/or spheres. The distance from the first
transducer 107 to the receiving device T.sub.1 is known to the
computing device 105 and is fixed, e.g., when the first transducer
107 is mounted on a fixed surface, as shown in FIG. 6. If the first
transducer 107 is, e.g., installed in a vehicle 101 door, the
distance T.sub.1 may be determined when the vehicle 101 door is
closed, providing a consistent measurement for T.sub.1. In another
example, the vehicle 101 door may include data collectors 110, e.g.
angle sensors, to detect the angle of an open vehicle 101 door, and
the distance T.sub.1 may be determined based on the measurement
from the data collectors 110. That is, if the first transducer 107
is at a specified location that is not fixed, the distance T.sub.1
may be determined with additional data collectors 110.
The distance from the first transducer 107 and the portable device
120 may be determined as follows: R.sub.1=v.sub.sTD.sub.1 where
R.sub.1 is the distance from the first transducer 107 to the
portable device 120, v.sub.s is the speed of sound in air, and
TD.sub.1 is the first time difference. The distance defines a
radius along which the portable device 120 may be located from the
first transducer 107, as shown in FIG. 7. However, this distance
R.sub.1 alone cannot determine the location of the portable device
120, as explained further below.
The distances from the second and third transducers 107 and the
portable device 120, may be similarly determined, producing a
second distance R.sub.2 and a third distance R.sub.3 respectively,
as shown in FIG. 7. Each distance defines a radius with the
respective transducer 107 at the center along which the portable
device is located. The three distances meet at a single point--the
location of the portable device 120 in the vehicle 101, as shown in
FIG. 7. That is, the location of the portable device 120 is
determined based on the time differences using trilateration. If
the transducers 107 are not in the same plane, i.e., at different
heights relative to, e.g., a vehicle 101 floor, then the radii
R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 define spheres around the transducers
107. The spheres similarly resolve to a single point, being the
location of the portable device 120.
FIG. 3 illustrates another exemplary process 300 for determining a
location of the portable device 120 in the vehicle 101. The process
300 starts in a block 305 where the computing device 105 sends an
instruction to the portable device 120 to generate a tone. The
instruction may be a notification sent over an RF signal, e.g.
RF.sub.1 as shown in FIG. 7.
Next, in a block 310, the portable device 120 generates the tone.
The tone may be an ultrasonic tone, i.e., having a frequency in
excess of 20 kHz, and travels through the air in the vehicle 101.
The tone may alternatively have a frequency at or below 20 kHz. The
portable device 120 also sends a receipt notification, e.g.
RF.sub.2 as shown in FIG. 7, to the computing device 105 indicating
the generation of the tone.
Next, in a block 315, a plurality of data collectors 110, e.g.
receiving devices, receive the tone. The data collectors 110 may be
located in the same locations as the transducers 107 shown in FIGS.
6-8.
Next, in a block 320, each receiving device records the time of
receipt of the tone.
Next, in a block 325, the computing device 105 collects a time of
receipt of the tone for each receiving device and calculates a
respective time difference for each receiving device. As described
in the block 225 above, the computing device compares the time of
the receipt notification to the time of the receipt of the tone to
determine a time difference for each receiving device.
Next, in a block 330, the computing device 105 determines the
location of the portable device 120 based on the time differences,
and the process 300 ends. As in the block 230 above, the computing
device 105 uses the time differences to determine radii around the
receiving devices, from which the location of the portable device
120 is determined using trilateration, as shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 4 illustrates another exemplary process 400 for determining
the location of the portable device 120. The process 400 starts in
a block 405, where the computing device 105 starts a timer, e.g.,
starts recording periods of time.
Next, in a block 410, the computing device 105 provides an
instruction to actuate the first transducer 107 to generate the
first tone. The tone may be, e.g., an ultrasonic tone.
Next, in a block 415, the portable device 120, upon receipt of the
first tone, generates a second tone. The second tone may be, e.g.,
an ultrasonic tone.
Next, in a block 420, the computing device 105 receives the second
tone via the receiving device and records the time of receipt of
the second tone.
Next, in a block 425, the computing device 105 determines if there
are other transducers 107 that have not generated tones. If so, the
computing device 105 repeats the steps 405-420 for each transducer
107. If all transducers 107 have generated tones, the process
continues in a block 430.
In the block 430, the computing device 105 determines the location
of the portable device 120 based on the times of receipt. As shown
in the example of FIG. 6, the distance between the transducers 107
and the receiving device is known for all transducers. As shown in
FIG. 8, each transducer and the receiving device serve as foci that
define an ellipse having a major axis defined by the portable
device 120. For example, the first major axis may be defined as:
L.sub.1=v.sub.sTD.sub.1 where L.sub.1 is the major axis of the
first ellipse, v.sub.s is the speed of sound in air, as is known,
and TD.sub.1 is the time of receipt of the second tone for the
first transducer 107. Based on the major axis L.sub.1 and the
location of the first transducer 107 and the receiving device, the
computing device 105 may define an ellipse on which the portable
device 120 must be located. The computing device 105 may define
ellipses for all transducers 107; for example, if the vehicle 101
includes three transducers 107, the computing device 105 may define
major axes L.sub.2, L.sub.3 for the second and third transducers,
respectively, and thus define a total of three ellipses. The three
ellipses intersect at a single point--the portable device 120. That
is, the computing device 105 may use trilateration to determine the
position of the portable device 120 using ellipses defined by the
locations of the transducers and the receiving devices, and the
major axis for each ellipse as defined by the time of receipt. If
the transducers 107 are not in the same plane, as described above,
the major axes L.sub.1, L.sub.2, L.sub.3 define ellipsoids that
intersect at the location of the portable device 120.
The computing device 105 may alternatively compare the times of
receipt to determine the location of the portable device 120. For
example, as shown in FIG. 6-8, a first transducer 107 may be
located in front of a vehicle operator, a second transducer 107 may
be located in front of a vehicle passenger, and a third transducer
107 may be located behind a vehicle passenger. The first transducer
107 produces a first time of receipt TD.sub.1, the second
transducer 107 produces a second time of receipt TD.sub.2, and the
third transducer 107 produces a third time of receipt TD.sub.3.
Because the first transducer 107 is closest to the vehicle
operator, if TD.sub.1 is smaller than either of TD.sub.2 or
TD.sub.3 (i.e., TD.sub.1<TD.sub.2, TD.sub.3), then the portable
device 120 is closest to the first transducer 107, and the portable
device 120 may be located near the vehicle operator. Similarly, if
TD.sub.2<TD.sub.1, TD.sub.3, then the portable device 120 may be
located near the vehicle passenger in a front passenger seat. And
if TD.sub.3<TD.sub.1, TD.sub.2, then the portable device 120 may
be located in a rear passenger seat.
FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary process 500 for determining
the location of the portable device 120. The process 500 begins in
a block 505, where the computing device 105 sends an instruction to
all transducers 107 to generate tones simultaneously.
Next, in a block 510, the portable device 120 receives a first
tone.
Next, in a block 515, the portable device 120 starts a timer upon
receipt of the first tone.
Next, in a block 520, the portable device 120 receives another
tone.
Next, in a block 525, upon receipt of the tone, the portable device
120 records the time of receipt of the tone from the timer. The
time of receipt is the time difference from the receipt of the
first tone to the receipt of the current tone.
Next, in a block 530, the portable device 120 determines if all
tones have been received. The portable device 120 may know the
number of transducers 107, and may be programmed to receive the
same number of tones. That is, the portable device 120 will record
times of receipt for tones for each transducer 107. If the portable
device 120 has not received all of the tones, the process 500
returns to the block 520 and repeats the steps 520-530 for all
transducers 107. Alternatively, the process 500 may collect as many
tones as possible during a predetermined time window. Otherwise,
the process continues in a block 535.
In the block 535, the portable device 120 sends a receipt
notification to the receiving device to provide information to the
computing device 105 with the times of receipt for each transducer
107.
Next, in a block 540, the computing device determines the location
of the portable device 120 based on the times of receipt. As shown
in FIG. 7 and described in the processes 200, 300, the computing
device 105 can determine the position of the portable device 120
according to trilateration using the times of receipt to determine
radii defining circles around the transducers 107; where the
circles intersect is the location of the portable device 120.
FIG. 6 illustrates a portion of an exemplary vehicle 101 including
transducers 107 disposed in the vehicle 101 instrument panel and in
a vehicle 101 door. The data collector 101. e.g. the receiving
device, may be disposed in a vehicle 101 rearview mirror. In this
example two portable devices 120, e.g. smart watches, are being
worn in the vehicle 101. One of the portable devices 120 may be
worn on a wrist of a vehicle operator, and is shown here close to a
vehicle 101 steering wheel where the operator's wrist may be
located. The other portable device 120 may be located on the wrist
of an occupant in a vehicle 101 passenger seat. Upon applying one
of the processes 200-500, the portable device 120 worn by the
operator (near the steering wheel) can be located and vehicle 101
settings from the operator's portable device 120 may be applied.
Specifically, the portable device 120 may be determined to be
located on the operator's side of the vehicle 101 cabin, and the
computing device 105 may apply user settings from that portable
device 120 and ignore the portable device 120 located on the
passenger's side of the vehicle 101 cabin.
FIG. 6 illustrates the distances between the transducers 107 and
the receiving device, here a data collector 110. The distance
T.sub.1 is the distance from the data collector 110 to the first
transducer 107; the distance T.sub.2 is the distance from the data
collector 110 to the second transducer 107; the distance T.sub.3 is
the distance from the data collector 110 to the third transducer
107. The distances T.sub.1, T.sub.2, T.sub.3 are known and may be
stored in the data store 106.
FIG. 7 illustrates a portion of an exemplary vehicle 101. As
described in the processes 200, 300, and 500 above, the computing
device 105 uses the time differences to determine the distances
from the transducers 107 to the portable device 120 with
trilateration. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the distance
T.sub.1 from the first transducer 107 and the receiving device is
predetermined and stored in the data store 106. The receiving
device receives the receipt notification RF.sub.2 from the portable
device 120 and determines a time difference TD.sub.1 between the
first tone and the first response tone. e.g., the amount of time
between the notification RF.sub.1 and the receipt notification
RF.sub.2. With the first transducer 107, the distance R.sub.1
defines a circle C.sub.1 around the transducer 107 on which the
portable device 120 falls.
The distance T.sub.2, shown in FIG. 6, from the second transducer
107 to the receiving device is known and stored in the data store
106. The time difference TD.sub.2 is determined similarly to
TD.sub.z described above. Based on the time difference TD.sub.2,
the distance R.sub.2 and defined circle C.sub.2 around the second
transducer 107 is determined. The circle C.sub.1 and the circle
C.sub.2 intersect at two points, I.sub.1 and I.sub.2, and with the
calculations from two transducers, the portable device 120 may be
at either point I.sub.1 or I.sub.2.
The distance T.sub.3, shown in FIG. 6, from the third transducer
107 to the receiving device is known and stored in the data store
106. The time difference TD.sub.3 is determined similarly to
TD.sub.1 and TD.sub.2. Based on the time difference TD.sub.3, the
distance R.sub.3 and defined circle C.sub.3 around the third
transducer 107 is determined. The circles C.sub.1, C.sub.2, C.sub.3
intersect at a single point, I.sub.1, which is the location of the
portable device 120, i.e. on the operator's side of the vehicle
101.
FIG. 7 illustrates two portable devices 120, and the calculations
described above may be similarly applied to the second portable
device 120. Here, the second portable device 120 is located on the
passenger's side of the vehicle 101. Thus, the computing device
105, having determined the location of both portable devices 120,
may apply settings only from the portable device 120 on the
operator's side of the vehicle 101.
FIG. 7 further illustrates the notification and the receipt
notification. A data collector 110, e.g. an RF antenna, can send
and receive RF signals over, e.g., the network 120, and relay the
signals to the computing device 105. For example, the computing
device 105 may send the notification as an RF signal RF.sub.1 to
start, e.g., the processes 200, 300. The portable device 120 may
send a receipt notification as an RF signal RF.sub.2 to send data
regarding, e.g., the time of receipt of tones, the time of sending
tones, etc.
FIG. 8 illustrates another portion of another exemplary vehicle
101, including two portable devices 120 that arc located according
to the process 400 above, using the ellipse calculation. As
described above, the transducer 107 and the receiving device are
the foci of the ellipse, and the portable device 120 defines the
major axis of the ellipse. For example, the major axis L.sub.1 is
the distance from the transducer 107 to the portable device 120
added to the distance from the portable device 120 to the receiving
device. Major axes L.sub.2, L.sub.3 may be similarly defined for
the other transducers 107. When repeated for each of three
transducers 107, the three ellipses intersect at a single point
I.sub.1, the location of the portable device 120.
As used herein, the adverb "substantially" modifying an adjective
means that a shape, structure, measurement, value, calculation,
etc. may deviate from an exact described geometry, distance,
measurement, value, calculation, etc., because of imperfections in
materials, machining, manufacturing, sensor measurements,
computations, processing time, communications time, etc.
Computing devices 105 generally each include instructions
executable by one or more computing devices such as those
identified above, and for carrying out blocks or steps of processes
described above. Computer-executable instructions may be compiled
or interpreted from computer programs created using a variety of
programming languages and/or technologies, including, without
limitation, and either alone or in combination, Java.TM., C, C++,
Visual Basic, Java Script, Perl, HTML, etc. In general, a processor
(e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, e.g., from a
memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes these
instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including
one or more of the processes described herein. Such instructions
and other data may be stored and transmitted using a variety of
computer-readable media. A file in the computing device 105 is
generally a collection of data stored on a computer readable
medium, such as a storage medium, a random access memory, etc.
A computer-readable medium includes any medium that participates in
providing data (e.g., instructions), which may be read by a
computer. Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not
limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, etc. Non-volatile
media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other
persistent memory. Volatile media include dynamic random access
memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes a main memory. Common
forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy
disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic
medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper
tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a
PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge,
or any other medium from which a computer can read.
With regard to the media, processes, systems, methods, etc.
described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps
of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according
to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced
with the described steps performed in an order other than the order
described herein. It further should be understood that certain
steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be
added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. For
example, in the process 200, one or more of the steps could be
omitted, or the steps could be executed in a different order than
shown in FIG. 2. In other words, the descriptions of systems and/or
processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating
certain embodiments, and should in no way be construed so as to
limit the disclosed subject matter.
Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present disclosure,
including the above description and the accompanying figures and
below claims, is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive.
Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided
would be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the
above description. The scope of the invention should be determined,
not with reference to the above description, but should instead be
determined with reference to claims appended hereto and/or included
in a non-provisional patent application based hereon, along with
the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It
is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in
the arts discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and
methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum,
it should be understood that the disclosed subject matter is
capable of modification and variation.
* * * * *